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Inspiring Science Education Academy

Inspiring Science Education Academy

The aim of the Inspiring Science EducatioAcademy is to support the modernisation of Science education and training, including in curricula, assessment of learning outcomes and the professional development of teachers and trainers, and to the wide adoption of the recommendations of the Rocard Report "A new Pedagogy for the Future of Europe" (Rocard et al., 2007), that sets the basics for the introduction of the Inquiry Based approach in the science curricula of the Member States. The teachers will not only be familiarized with a unique collection of open digital educational resources, but they will also be trained to link them with innovative pedagogical practices, such as using real world learning activities, implementing resource based and project-based approaches, in order to design educational scenarios by repurposing existing eLearning tools. The offered resources and tools, although associated with a broad range of curriculum areas, do not impose a fixed curriculum but support a model that can be customized based on location and culture, as well as cross-disciplinary situations, being thus ideal to be used in the European context for differentiated instruction. Teachers will also be trained to appropriately select and exploit freely available existing eLearning tools and resources in their educational scenarios that suit their own needs in terms of planning, implementing and sharing pedagogical ideas, managing their classroom and organizing the curriculum. This will further empower them to create effective project scenarios to use in the classroom, as well as in multiple environments such as face-to-face, online and other technology mediated learning. Such a comprehensive open learning networks approach that allows teachers to access their colleagues' course materials, share their own and collaborate is expected to enable all stakeholders to examine their own practices in the light of the best performing approaches.

The aim of the Inspiring Science EducatioAcademy is to support the modernisation of Science education and training, including in curricula, assessment of learning outcomes and the professional development of teachers and trainers, and to the wide adoption of the recommendations of the Rocard Report "A new Pedagogy for the Future of Europe" (Rocard et al., 2007), that sets the basics for the introduction of the Inquiry Based approach in the science curricula of the Member States. The teachers will not only be familiarized with a unique collection of open digital educational resources, but they will also be trained to link them with innovative pedagogical practices, such as using real world learning activities, implementing resource based and project-based approaches, in order to design educational scenarios by repurposing existing eLearning tools. The offered resources and tools, although associated with a broad range of curriculum areas, do not impose a fixed curriculum but support a model that can be customized based on location and culture, as well as cross-disciplinary situations, being thus ideal to be used in the European context for differentiated instruction. Teachers will also be trained to appropriately select and exploit freely available existing eLearning tools and resources in their educational scenarios that suit their own needs in terms of planning, implementing and sharing pedagogical ideas, managing their classroom and organizing the curriculum. This will further empower them to create effective project scenarios to use in the classroom, as well as in multiple environments such as face-to-face, online and other technology mediated learning. Such a comprehensive open learning networks approach that allows teachers to access their colleagues' course materials, share their own and collaborate is expected to enable all stakeholders to examine their own practices in the light of the best performing approaches.

Available Courses

Science museums and science centres are popular informal learning spaces. They play a prime role in public engagement in science enabling people to have first-hand experience of scientific phenomena and to develop curiosity, awe, motivation, interest to know more, understanding and learning. Science museums are also actively involved in school education providing a range of activities for pupils, offering resources and specialist support to teachers and organising training initiatives for school staff. In particular, school groups are among the audiences most present in the majority of museums as well as, in many cases, the priority of museum education services.

The school constitutes the “epicentre” of formal comprehensive education. Most processes and educational models start there and revolve around the work carried out within its walls. Naturally, the same applies for activities involving the IBSE model, generally acknowledged as one of the most effective teaching approaches; the students start their acquaintance with inquiry-based learning at school, with the help of their teachers. Therefore, schoolbased work on the IBSE constitutes the cornerstone upon which any further activities can be built.

Research Centres are the places where “things happen” in Science. New observations are made, new ideas are proposed, new models are tested. Clearly, from the viewpoint of excitement, a Research Centre is the place to be: Research Centres play an increasing role in the advancement of knowledge and technology. Because of their ability to assemble a ‘critical mass’ of people and investment, they contribute to national, regional and European economic development.

Teachers are playing a central role in our education system. They are the link between theory and practice and act both as mentors and mediators. As the world is developing rapidly, for students it is important to have a mentor, who provides education that brings knowledge and everyday life together. Therefore professional development after preservice teacher education at university becomes extremely important to meet today’s requirements of the European education system. It is further crucial to consistently renew the initial teacher education through in-service training to conform teacher education to the latest educational standards of a rapidly changing world.

As the old African proverb says, "It takes a village to raise a child.”... or it would take a community to raise a school. It’s important to work as a community to foster our schools for our particular community needs. One of the great challenges of science education is how to relate what is learned in schools with the real world. Real education/school transformation denotes authentic community connections and actions. Teaching is more than conveying knowledge. It’s an inspiration for the school change. This course is intended to headmasters and teachers.